Antigonish Affordable Housing Society Net-Zero Energy Pilot: Appleseed Drive
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - SAH
Sector
Energy
Project value$3,386,302
Project Type
Pilot Project
Sub Sector
Building – New – with Renewable energy
Grant amount$381,050
Program type
GMF
Municipality
Town of Antigonish, NS
Status
In Progress
Population
4,656
Project timeline
2020 -
Project number
17704
Description
Antigonish Affordable Housing Society (AASH, founded in 1993) is a small not-for profit, volunteer-based housing provider that currently operates 14 rental units in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Building on its success from a previous FCM Feasibility Study grant, AASH will pilot its first 12-unit Net Zero Energy (NZE) new build. The building site is located within a 15-minute walk of essential services including an elementary school, a middle school, and local transit. The units are made up of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Four of the units will be barrier-free. This unit mix reflects the need of the local community, where families with children are particularly in need of affordable housing.
Measures to achieve NZE will consist of variant refrigerant (VRF) heating and cooling, efficient building ventilation, energy-efficient lighting, and a highly insulated building envelope and roof. Energy use will be offset with both rooftop and ground-mount solar PV. Secondary environmental benefits include waste reduction techniques during the construction period, reduced water use and installation of a community garden.
AASH’s pilot proposal includes significant social benefits. Tenants will have access to a Community Navigator working for the project, whose wages are partially offset by the project’s energy savings. The Community Navigator may provide valuable community information and guide tenants in accessing social or other supports. The tenant advisory board, along with a communal kitchen and common area, will encourage tenant engagement and facilitate community gathering. These approaches are ambitious and noteworthy both in Nova Scotia and the housing sector across the country.
Innovative aspect(s)
Building on its success from a previous FCM Feasibility Study grant, AASH will pilot its first 12-unit Net Zero Energy (NZE) new build. The building site is located within a 15-minute walk of essential services including an elementary school, a middle school, and local transit. The units are made up of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Four of the units will be barrier-free. This unit mix reflects the need of the local community, where families with children are particularly in need of affordable housing.
Measures to achieve NZE will consist of variant refrigerant (VRF) heating and cooling, efficient building ventilation, energy-efficient lighting, and a highly insulated building envelope and roof. Energy use will be offset with both rooftop and ground-mount solar PV. Secondary environmental benefits include waste reduction techniques during the construction period, reduced water use and installation of a community garden.
AASH’s pilot proposal includes significant social benefits. Tenants will have access to a Community Navigator working for the project, whose wages are partially offset by the project’s energy savings. The Community Navigator may provide valuable community information and guide tenants in accessing social or other supports. The tenant advisory board, along with a communal kitchen and common area, will encourage tenant engagement and facilitate community gathering. These approaches are ambitious and noteworthy both in Nova Scotia and the housing sector across the country.
Innovative aspect(s)
- This is the first SAH pilot or capital project to include a robust measurement and monitoring plan for social outcomes through tenant surveys, focus groups, stakeholder engagement and research. The plan will define improvements and changes and share the outcomes through pre-established academic, public, and private channels
- Social outcomes to be monitored will include reduction in tenant stress levels, improved quality of life, and other health or safety improvements
- Other impacts measured in the study include tenant awareness of environmental measures, changes in clothesline use, recycling practices, reduced car usage, tenant finances improvement, and tenant access to electricity
Replicability
- The County of Antigonish donated land, and the Town assisted with the purchase of solar panels in bulk. These kinds of supports promote efficient project development and procurement practices in affordable housing and sustainable development
- If successful, the social outcomes monitoring, and measurement would be a useful model for other affordable housing projects
Affordability
- 100% of the units fall below 80% of the Median Market Rent (MMR)
- AAHS will cover utility costs as it learned many tenants are in arrears with the Nova Scotia utility company, making it challenging or impossible for these tenants to access electricity
Eligibility
This application is eligible because it aims to achieve or exceed the following objectives:
This application is eligible because it aims to achieve or exceed the following objectives:
- Applicants must be municipal governments, municipally owned corporations, or non-profit housing providers
- 30% of the units must be below 80% of the MMR in order to be “affordable”
- New-build projects must aim for NZE or NZER to be eligible, with a maximum net-Total Energy Use Intensity (TEUI) of 80 kWh/m2
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
Antigonish Affordable Housing Society, NS